The world offers us plenty of meal options, but thanks to awful things like allergies, intolerances, and ethics, many of us avoid some of those options. Whether you're suffering from a limited food selection or want to know how to cook for someone who does, here's how to still cook tasty food when your options are severely restricted.

I'm a reluctant vegetarian. I decided to give it a shot nearly nine years ago for no particular reason and it stuck. Now meat just seems too unappealing to eat and I'm stuck with tofu—except I just found out I'm allergic to soy, most meat and fish, as well as a ton of other common foods. With severely limited options, I had to learn how to cook new recipes. Through the process I also discovered I am not alone. Many people have allergies, intolerances, or ailments like Crohn's Disease that prevent them from eating most food. (In fact, we have a representative in every category here at Lifehacker.) This post aims to provide options for those who can't eat like a normal person, or allow their friends and family to cook for them if they feel so inclined. The recipes selected will help you learn useful skills as you continue to cook for a restricted diet. Because of all the recipes, it's pretty long. Feel free to skip to the section most relevant to you (though you may want to read them all, as you'll find a lot of overlap in the recipes):

How to Cook Vegetarian Food

Cooking a vegetarian meal doesn't take a whole lot of forethought, but it helps to understand what it actually means to be a vegetarian before making your choices. The most common type of vegetarian is the ovo-lacto vegetarian, which means they don't eat any meat (that includes beef, pork, chicken, fish, and pretty much anything with a face) but they do eat eggs and dairy products. Some vegetarians are more strict and cut out either eggs or milk, while some are less strict and still eat fish (but they're more commonly known as pescatarians). Because ovo-lacto is the most common type, the recipes in this section will contain no meat but may contain dairy and eggs.

Oatmeal Risotto

Risotto's a great option when you can find one without meat or seafood. Learning to cook vegetable-based risotto, however, demonstrates how flavorful food can be without meat. Additionally, this risotto is made with oatmeal and not the standard arborio rice. It's a great example to show you how easy it can be to substitute various ingredients when you're trying to make something healthier or just more accessible to people with dietary restrictions.

Here's what you'll need:

3 cups vegetable broth (the standard recipe calls for chicken broth, but you can substitute)

1 cup quick oats ¼ cup grapeseed oil

1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thin

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

5 basil leaves, torn kosher salt & pepper to taste

3 tbsp grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese (or try shredded mozzarella)

First, make the oatmeal:

In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil

Add oats, return to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes

Let cool completely, then refrigerate for 4 hours so the oatmeal firms up nicely.

Then, sauté the vegetables:

Heat grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat

Add garlic and sauté until golden brown (be careful not to burn the garlic)

Add cherry tomatoes, sauté quickly, then add basil and cook another 30 seconds or so

Fold in oatmeal, season with salt and pepper, and mix to incorporate ingredients and warm the oatmeal

Zucchini Lasagna

Pasta is a common option for vegetarians, but most lasagna comes with a large helping of meat. Meat-free lasagna is still really tasty, however, and this recipe is no exception. It's also a fantastic way to learn many useful pasta-related skills as the recipe requires you to make your own marinara sauce, cook noodles, create a ricotta filling, and make an egg wash.

Ingredients for the Marinara Sauce:

4 tbsp canola oil

2 (16-oz each) cans plum tomatoes (San Manzano recommended)

½ small onion, sliced

1 tbsp salt

½ tbsp black pepper

6 basil leaves, whole or chopped

Ingredients for the Egg Wash and Zucchini:

3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise about ¼" thick

4 eggs

½ cup Romano cheese

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 cups flour for dredging

2 cups canola oil for frying

Ingredients for the Ricotta Filling:

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 egg

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

⅓ cup grated Romano cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

You'll also need 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided.

To start making actually making the recipe, you need to prepare the marinara sauce:

Add canola oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Do not discard pan with oil

Meanwhile in a food processor, blend tomatoes for about 30 seconds or until just smooth

Add the pureed tomatoes to the pot with the oil. Add the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper

Bring to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for approximately 45-60 minutes over medium-low heat, adding a few (whole or chopped) basil leaves after 45 minutes

Note: This recipe makes more sauce than you will need for the lasagna but extra can be stored in individual containers and refrigerated for use within one week, or frozen for up to three months.

Next, make the egg wash and fry the zucchini:

For the egg wash, using a fork mix 4 eggs, ½ cup grated Romano cheese, ½ tsp salt and ½ pepper in a large bowl and set aside

Heat 2 cups canola oil or enough to fill a large skillet ½" on high heat

Dredge zucchini slices in flour, then dip in the egg mixture

Place in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds each side

Remove each piece to a tray lined with paper towels while assembling filling

More Vegetarian Recipes

How to Cook Vegan Food

Vegans are a little more difficult than vegetarians. In addition to no eggs or dairy, vegans don't eat or use animal products at all. That may seem obvious, but because of how many products are processed that isn't always the case. For example, sugar and wine are both often filtered with charcoal made from animal bones. Insulation and lubricants are made from animal parts. These recipes will not use any animal products by default, but you'll need to make sure the ingredients you choose don't contain any, if you care (or the person you're cooking for does).

Black Bean Burgers

Vegans are difficult to cook for, especially because protein sources are limited. The black bean is one of the best ways for a vegan to get protein, and you can turn it into all sorts of things. In this case, we're making burgers.

To make the burgers, you'll need the following ingredients:

4 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained & rinsed

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp chili powder

½ tsp kosher salt

2 tsp cumin

Canola oil for cooking (about 1 tbsp per 2 patties)

You'll also want the following items for preparing the burger when you're finished:

Flatbread, burger buns, or bread of choice (if you pick a gluten-free bun, this becomes a gluten-free recipe)

Fresh salsa

Arugula

To actually make the burgers, first mix and form the patties:

Drain and rinse black beans thoroughly

In a large mixing bowl combine the beans, flour, chili powder, cumin, and salt

Mash with your hands until you’ve reached a consistency that will form together into patties

Divide into 12 equal portions and form into patties. Refrigerate until use

Next, cook and make the burger:

Heat 1 tbsp canola oil over medium in a large pan

Cook 2 burgers at a time (depending on the size of your pan) until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Once flipped to the second side, top with cheese (optional), and cook until melted

Quick Chickpea Curry

Chickpeas are great. They have a strong, built-in flavor and are easy to cook. This quick curry dish is a great option for vegans because it doesn't take long and offers a lot of flavor. Getting to know the chickpea is really useful for vegan cooking, because you'll find it in Indian, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern food, all of which offer a number of great vegan choices. If you learn to cook the chickpea well one way, you'll inevitably seek out many others.

Here's what you'll need:

2 tbsp canola oil

¹⁄₈ tsp asafetida powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp minced ginger

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp salt

2 (16-oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed

3 cups water

½ tsp garam masala

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Here's how you put it all together:

Rinse canned beans in a strainer and set aside

Heat oil in a pot on medium-high heat. Add asafetida and cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds until cumin seeds turn golden brown

Add the chopped onions and cook until light brown, about 3-5 minutes

Add tomatoes and ginger. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, until tomatoes are soft

Using a masher or a back of spoon, mash the tomatoes until well blended

Add cayenne pepper, ground coriander, turmeric and salt

Add the drained chickpeas and stir to coat with the spices

Add water and bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer (slow boil), and cook for about 10 minutes

Using a back of spoon, mash a few chickpeas against the pan (to thicken the dish)

Add garam masala and lemon juice

Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and a salad

Vegan Truffles

Great vegan desserts can be a tough to come by, but no sacrifices are necessary with chocolate truffles. They may be small, but they pack a lot of fudgy flavor and demonstrate an important element of creating vegan desserts: you'll do well by shying away from the baked goods. While you can still bake some great vegan desserts, focusing on available flavors and minimizing substitutions will more likely produce a no-compromise treat that everyone will love.

Here's what you'll need:

10 oz bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup unsweetened soymilk

zest of 2 satsuma (seedless mandarin oranges)

¼ cup olive oil

1½ tbsp agave syrup

cocoa powder for rolling

candied orange peel (optional for garnish)

To make the truffles, follow these instructions:

Fit a small bowl with the chocolate over a pan filled with 2-3" of boiling water, ensuring that the water does not reach the bottom of the bowl. Allow the rising heat of the steam to gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally to redistribute the melting chocolate. Continue to heat until all chocolate is melted and smooth. When fully melted, remove from heat and place bowl securely on a towel folded flat

As the chocolate melts, zest the satsumas. Combine zest with the unsweetened soymilk in a small saucepan and heat until steaming. Remove from heat prior to boiling and cover securely with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the zest to steep for 10 minutes under its cover. Optionally, at the end of 10 minutes, strain the zest from the soymilk

Pour the warm, steeped soymilk into the bowl of melted chocolate and whisk well to combine

Add the olive oil and agave syrup, continuing to whisk and combine the mixture into a thick pudding consistency

Pour the mixture into a flat pan or shallow bowl to cool completely for several hours, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. When the mixture has fully set, use a teaspoon or melon baller to remove walnut-sized scoops of the mixture. Gently roll the scoops into balls and then dredge them in the cocoa powder to cover completely. Optionally, decorate each truffle with a small bit of candied orange peel

Serve at room temperature. Store in a covered container in a refrigerator for a week.

More Vegan Recipes

How to Cook Gluten-Free Food

Gluten allergies and intolerances can make eating out difficult, but cooking without gluten isn't as much of a challenge. Most of the time you just need to substitute the common ingredients for similar ones (e.g. using cornstarch instead of flour). While there are many gluten-free alternatives to standard foods (e.g. pizza), they don't always taste and feel like reasonable equivalents (much like fake meat). For that reason, we're going to concentrate on gluten-free recipes that don't have traditionally gluten-rich content.

Eggplant Timballo

Eggplant timballo is bubbly, cheesy, and delicious. It's a great comfort food, which is something harder to come by when you can't eat gluten (as most "comfort foods" contain a lot of grain). This recipe, in particular, demonstrates how one simple replacement—cornstarch for flour—goes a long way.

Primary Ingredients

2 large eggplants, peeled & thinly sliced

cornstarch for dredging eggplant slices

3 cups shredded mozzarella

4 cups of marinara sauce

canola oil for frying (1" deep)

Egg Wash

3 eggs

⅓ cup Romano cheese

salt

black pepper

Marinara Sauce

2 16-oz cans of plum tomatoes or 12 dozen fresh tomatoes

canola oil to coat stock pot

onions, chopped

salt

pepper

fresh basil

You'll also need four individual-size casserole dishes for baking the timballos. Get started by making the marinara sauce:

Heat canola and saute onion

Add freshly crushed tomatoes or canned, simmer for 40 minutes

Add salt, pepper & fresh basil

Next, prepare the eggplant:

In a large frying pan heat oil on medium

Slice eggplant across into ¼" pieces (6 per serving)

Beat eggs, salt, pepper and cheese with a whisk to make an egg wash

Place cornstarch on a flat plate and dust eggplant slices, shaking to remove excess cornstarch

After dusting eggplant, dip each slice in the egg wash, one at a time, then put into hot oil to fry. Continue to add slices to pan making sure not to overcrowd

Poke a few holes with a fork in each slice so that the eggplant cooks evenly

Add a layer of marinara sauce, 1-2 pieces of eggplant, more marinara sauce and a handful of mozzarella cheese

Continue layering process as above, finishing with a layer of mozzarella. Mixture will sink down as it bakes, so don't be afraid to fill the dish

Bake for 20 minutes at 375º

This dish freezes very well. Prepare and bake as you normally would. Let it cook, cover and freeze. When you're ready to eat, defrost or put in the microwave for 15 minutes. Then bake at 375º for 15 minutes.

Curried Lentil, Squash, and Apple Stew

This dish offers a surprising amount of flavor and satiety and demonstrates how you can really create an impactful dish with just a few vegetables and spices. If there's one thing to learn here, pay attention to how the onions are prepared and sauteéd. The spices are included in the process and this helps bolster the great flavor of this stew.

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon of curry powder

1.5 teaspoons of sea salt

1/2 cup of dried lentils

2.5 cups of vegetable broth

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 cups of peeled butternut squash cut into ½" cubes

1 large unpeeled apple, diced

5 ounces of baby spinach

If you don't have access to some of the ingredients, this stew still tastes good anyway. Most of the time I don't bother with the spinach and have left carrots out in the past without affecting the flavor much.

Cooking the stew is easy. Just follow these steps:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion and carrot until almost soft.

Add garlic, ginger, curry, and salt. Let it cook a few more minutes until fragrant.

Stir in lentils, broth, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add squash and apple, cover and simmer for another 25 minutes (or until vegetables and lentils are tender).

Remove lid and stir in spinach until wilted.

Add salt to taste and serve.

The finished stew serves about six people and preserves well for about a week.

Asian-style Noodles with Turkey Meatballs

A lot of Asian food is often off the menu for gluten-free eaters, but this dish not only delivers similar flavors but plenty of lean protein as well. If you're learning to cook for the gluten-intolerant, or are one yourself, it's good to start experimenting with substitutions for common problem foods like noodles. This recipe is also a favorite of Tessa, our contributions editor, who offers the following advice when making it:

My mom made this for me when I was home last and it was awesome. The secret is to not overcook the meatballs. Ground turkey dries out really easily.

Before you get started making the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a large mixing bowl to combine turkey, bread crumbs, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and herbs. Mix until blended, then add the lime and maple syrup. Mix again. Add salt and pepper (careful with the salt - tamari is salty). Form the meatballs by hand - keep them about the size of a golfball. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you may only need about 15 minutes. Cook them until they're no longer pink, and no longer than that or they'll dry out.

Next, cook the pasta as directed, but just until al dente—don't overcook it! Meanwhile, bring your vegetable oil to a skillet (or wok) and add your onions, garlic, chile, ginger, and carrots. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, just until tender. Add the tamari and vinegar and give it all a stir. Drain your noodles and toss them in with your skillet mixture, coating them. Add the baby spinach at the VERY end, just enough to barely wilt it. Add in your fresh herbs. Toss everything on a plate and top it will as many meatballs as you can eat.

Chicken and Dumplings

You can't go wrong with chicken and dumplings. If a gluten allergy has you down and you wish you had something you could eat, this ought to be a recipe at the top of your list. It's another great example of how using corn products (in this case, corn meal) can still create edible foods without any gluten problems.

Ingredients for the Chicken Stock:

4 lbs whole chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed

1 bay leaf

4 garlic cloves

1/2 a large onion

1 celery rib

1 large carrot

12 cups water

Ingredients for the Seasoning and Soup:

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

6 cloves of garlic (just give 'em a smash)

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1/2 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

1/2 cornmeal (make sure it hasn't been processed with gluten)

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1 heaping tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup almond milk

Just follow these steps to put it all together:

In a big pot, add the chicken, bay leaf, garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and water. Bring it to a rolling boil, then turn down to a simmer a let it cook for about an hour. When it's cooked, get rid of the vegetables with a slotted spoon and remove the chicken from the stock. Set the stock aside.

While your chicken is cooling off, heat oil in the bottom of another large pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Then add your tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, and salt.

Add 6-7 cups of the reserved stock to the pot, plus a dash of salt. Bring everything to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, prep your chicken (pull the meat off the bones). Set it aside.

In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the oil and almond milk and mix until just incorporated, no more.

When your soup has been simmering for half an hour or so, add the chicken and parsley. Then add the biscuit dough by dropping tablespoons into the hot soup (key: make sure the soup is simmering away and HOT.) Don't stir it (the dough will fall apart) - just let it simmer another 20 minutes. When you've got a minute or so to go, add in the frozen peas and a another little dash of salt, if needed.

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies make for a fun dessert, but traditionally they're chock full of gluten. These cookies are not only gluten-free, but vegan as well, and you'll get 24 cookies out of a batch. Generally speaking, desserts and other baked items that traditionally require grain are difficult to deal with but these gingerbread cookies provide a helpful introduction to how you can bake without gluten-heavy flours.

Combine shortening, rapadura and maple syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a paddle until light and fluffy. Add in molasses, water and vanilla and continue to mix

Add all dry ingredients to the wet mixture. The dough will be crumbly at first but will soon come together after a few minutes. Finish kneading by hand

The dough can be rolled out right away and cut into cookies or it may sit, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator overnight. It may also be frozen and stored up to a month

Working with about a third of the dough at a time, roll out on a piece of parchment paper to a little less than ¼" thickness. If the dough is not easy to work with, place another parchment sheet on top to roll dough between.

Place rolled out dough back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so it is easier to cut with cookie cutters

Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 8-10 minutes for soft and chewy or until slightly risen with a touch of color at the edges. Bake 10-15 minutes for harder cookie consistency. Cool. Store in a airtight container for up to a month

If using as ornaments, punch a hole towards top of cookie prior to baking and bake to harder consistency.

More Gluten-Free Options

How to Find Recipes for Your Specific Needs

This post only includes a few recipes for a handful of restrictive diets, so you may want more of what's already here or have specific needs we didn't cover. If you're looking for something very specific, one of the best things you can do is use Allrecipe's ingredient search tool. Whatever you can't eat, just type it into one of the "exclude" boxes and you'll see options that omit the stuff you can't eat. It's exceptionally helpful when you need something specific.

That aside, here are further resources to help you learn more about cooking with restrictions:

For those with Crohn's disease (and their friends and family), the Specific Carbohydrate Diet offers some assistance when seeking out edible food.

Even though dietary restrictions can feel like you'll never eat anything good again, you will. Try some of these recipes, seek out your own, and let your tastebuds recalibrate a little. Change is often difficult, but new food becomes part of your normal routine after a little practice. After a little experimenting in the kitchen, you'll quickly find ways to love what you eat even if you have to leave out a few seemingly vital components.

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A very special thanks goes out to How2Heroes, cHow Divine, and the Gluten-Free Goddess for contributing recipes to this collection. These sites offer tons of great food that people with dietary restrictions can eat, so be sure to bookmark them and visit regularly.

Photos by Jiri Hera (Shutterstock) and their respective recipe sources.